Keeping stoma bag dry in shower

Hi Camelializ

                      I found that when I used cling film just wrap it around  your body and it should keep it dry.

Brendan

Hi Camelializ

I tried the shower cap idea on holiday and it was a disaster! I used to dry mine off with the hairdryer! 

Karen x

Hi Brendan

thanks for the clingfilm tip. Trouble is that would also cover up the bits of my belly that i’m trying to wash! I could try just wrapping the bags in film. 

Camelializ

Hi Karen

Thanks. I’m also finding a cool hairdryer seems best but a bit slow with two bags. After my reversal thankfully I’ll just have one. 

Camelializ

I change my bag every two days - I have a shower just before changing it, so it doesn’t matter if it gets wet, and have a thorough flannel wash on the non-changing day or at other times as required. So no need to dry a wet bag.... There are days when I’d love to jump in the shower but can’t be doing with the hassle of a wet bag and the glue goes a bit gunky when it gets wet. Joys of having a bag!

Hi Annamouse

Thanks for your reply  

Maybe I should just shower every other day then. The wet bags are making my wound soggy and the practice nurse said I should try to keep it dry. It’s just tempting to have a cool shower in this heatwave!

You’d think with all the stoma products available there would be a waterproof bag cover. I will check again with my stoma nurse whom I’m seeing on Monday. She said the stoma bags were waterproof!

Camelializ

Salts make a properly waterproof bag. I tried it. It came loose in the middle of the first night. Mess everywhere. So that was the end of trialling that one! Showering on alternate days is definitely the lesser of those two evils! 

The other day I had a “legs only” cold shower, which was lovely and cooling - if you’ve got a detachable shower head, it’s better than nothing...

Can I ask a naive question?  (I have jumped over from the Bowel cancer group and have been told I may need a bag if the chemo and radiotherapy don't work.)

Is it not possible to completely remove the bag, have a shower without one and then dry off and put a fresh one on?

Hi AEC

It’s not a naive question.  We are all learning here. I’ve only had my bags for three weeks (unlucky to have two at the moment!). 

Yes you you can take the bag right off but I’m not yet confident that the stoma won’t go into action in the shower and make a mess everywhere!  Also it’s recommended to change an ileostomy bag every other day so on the non change day I don’t really want an unnecessary change just to have a shower. 

As I get more confident it would be nice to be bagless if only for 10 mins! After my ileostomy reversal, when I’ll be left with the colostomy bag,  I’m hoping it will get easier. 

To start with I made a right hash of changing the bags and wasted several where I had too much skin exposed around the stoma. But it’s amazing how quickly you get used to it. 

Good luck with your chemo and RT treatment. 

Camelializ

I agree, not at all naive. 

I think the 48 hour bag changes are so the skin doesn’t get stuck/unstuck too often, and to save having to do it every day.  I’m not sure if there is an economic reason as well - bags are fairly expensive and free on the NHS to all those who need them for cancer related reasons.

A note of caution about showering with an exposed stoma - partly the risk of poo, but also the bowel is quite sensitive and, when I tried (once only) to shower without a bag, the stoma was not happy about the water pressure, bleeding a bit, contracting a lot etc. I wouldn’t want to risk damaging it, so won’t do it again.

Instead, I shower with the bag on, dry around it and immediately change it for a nice fresh one. All lovely and clean.